FFA Advisor Greg Sharp is now certified to give Quality Assurance to all students taking market animals to the Columbiana County Fair.

Mr. Sharp will be offering this at Knox Elementary on Tuesday, January 30th @ 2:00 p.m. and at Damascus Elementary on Friday, February 2nd @ 2:00 p.m. Parents are welcome to attend as well.

This will count as their Quality Assurance for anyone taking a market animal to the 2018 Columbiana County Fair. Information and permission slips were sent home with all third and fourth grade students.

A West Branch Unity Tree was constructed in the high school cafeteria, as part of a series being done during the freshmen and sophomore invest periods. Mr. Mountz, High School Art Teacher, painted the tree, while leaves were put up by the students. The leaves included a statement by freshmen and sophomore students on how they would intervene or support a friend or peer who is being bullied.

If you or someone you know is in need of clothing, shoes or coats, the West Branch Clothing Closet is a free service to anyone who has a student attending West Branch Local Schools. Currently we have lots of WB clothing, bags, sporting gear, coats, hats, gloves, etc. The closet is open by appointment and during conference nights. Please call 330-938-4310 to make an appointment.

Congratulations to Liana Gabrelcik, Gloriana Maendel, Elizabeth McCune, and Samantha Tubbs of the West Branch Middle School Band for being selected to participate in the District 5 Middle School Honors Band. The honors band is sponsored by the Ohio Music Education Association. Specific students are carefully selected from all over Trumbull, Ashtabula, and Mahoning counties to participate in this special advanced musical ensemble. Their experience will conclude with a concert at Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown on Saturday November 18th.

Students in Mrs. Lesnett's Freshman Honors English classes are preparing for their last fundraiser to help animals affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma this fall. After researching several charities, students voted to fundraise for the Humane Society of America Disaster Relief Fund. Earlier this fall they sold popcorn and Gatorade at the girls tennis matches. This final fundraiser will be Tuesday, October 24th at Chipotle in Alliance. Students are encouraged to purchase dinner between 5:00-9:00 and should mention West Branch and the Humane Society. Thank you in advance for your support of this effort.

Pickup Information

Attention WBHS 2017 Graduates and Current Student Body!

The 2016-17 yearbooks have arrived and are ready to be distributed to any student/graduate that has pre-purchased a yearbook. Graduates can pick up their yearbook from the high school office weekdays between 7:20 and 3:00 beginning September 19th The books will be distributed to current students on Friday, September 15th.

We have a very limited amount of extra books available and will sell the books on a first come, first serve basis. The cost of the ALL COLOR yearbook is $85 and they can be purchased at the high school. Any questions, please call or email Mrs. Bock @ (330) 938-4463 or Gayla. Bock@WBWarriors.org.

Stay connected with West Branch Local Schools by signing up for e-Communication Notifications (email and/or text messages). This can be done by going to the main webpage, scrolling down on the left hand side to "e-Communication" and completing the short survey indicating what type of information you want to receive and what method(s) of communication you would like to use. If you have any questions, please call the Superintendent's Office at 330-938-9324.

West Branch has four Americorps Reading tutor positions open for the 2017 -- 2018 school year. Two positions will be at Knox Elementary and two at Damascus Elementary. There is a small weekly stipend and an end of year tuition reimbursement. Please contact Mr. Fowler at Stephen.Fowler@WBWarriors.org or Mrs. Reash at Caitlin.Reash@WBWarriors.org for additional information. No degree is necessary. This would be a perfect position for a recent high school graduate interested in public education.

Due to the cancellation of the Band Concert on Tuesday, December 13, we have rescheduled the concert for Tuesday, December 20 at 7:00 at the High School Auditorium at 7:00. Students need to report at 6:30.

Congratulations to Alaya Kiser, Justin Cederbloom, Abby Stephens, and Cheyenne Saulsberry of the West Branch Middle School Band for being selected to participate in the District 5 Middle School Honors Band. The honors band is sponsored by the Ohio Music Education Association. Students are selected from all over Trumbull, Ashtabula, and Mahoning counties to participate in this special advanced musical ensemble.

An extra special congratulations goes out to Alaya Kiser for earning first chair clarinet in the ensemble!

Their experience will conclude with a concert at Stambaugh Auditorium on Saturday, November 19th at noon.

West Branch Students and Staff honored veterans in a ceremony on Veterans Day. The Presentation of Colors was led by The George D. Worth #574. Patriotic music and song was shared by the band and choir. There were also readings by students. The playing of Taps closed the ceremony.

Following the ceremony, veterans and their families were invited to stay for refreshments. Thank you Veterans for your service.

Posted On: Wednesday, September 7, 2016

2016 Hall of Fame Festivities

Friday, September 9, 2016:

5:00 - 6:30 p.m. - Tailgate Party - South end of the Meiter Bldg. - Open to the Public

The West Branch Local School District was saddened to learn of the death of Mrs. Bergen (Bauman) Bryan, kindergarten teacher at Damascus Elementary. Mrs. Bryan passed away July 31, 2016.

The West Branch School District Staff, School Board, and Administration express their deepest sympathy to the family of Mrs. Bryan. Bergen’s family has scheduled calling hours for Friday, August 5th from 4:00 to 8:00 and the funeral for Saturday, August 6th at 2:00. All services will be held at Damascus United Methodist Church on Valley Road.

​Mr. Timothy Saxton, Superintendent and the administrative team have been in contact and are coordinating efforts to provide counseling and support. Members of the West Branch Ministerial Association and staff members will be on hand to assist students and staff. If further information becomes available, it will be shared via this website or by the “rapid call” system.

This past Saturday, Rob Lozier placed third in the 300m hurdles at the Division II OHSAA Northeast Regional Meet. His time of 39.5 seconds earns him an opportunity to compete this weekend at the state meet. Congratulations to Rob on his accomplishment.

In December, the West Branch Ruriteens collected items to send to a 1989 West Branch Grad in the military. Col. Paul Nosak in the United States Air Force is a 1989 West Branch Graduate and was stationed at the embassy in Afghanistan at that time. The Ruriteens sent him a box of items to let him know how much his sacrifices are appreciated by those of us here at home. Col. Nosak has recently returned to the States and was in the area visiting family. He stopped by the high school to present the Ruriteens and the High School with a flag that he flew over the embassy during his deployment. He presented the flag encased in a beautiful plaque that can be viewed in the office area. The Ruriteens would like to thank Col. Paul Nosak and his family for the sacrifices that they have made in service to our country in the Armed Services and wish him continued safety in his service.

We have confirmed that one bed bug was found in one of the pre-school rooms located at West Branch Middle School this morning (March 31, 2016).

The room has been isolated and afternoon pre-school has been cancelled for this afternoon. We are having the room professionally sanitized.

I am sure you are aware this area of Ohio is experiencing a lot of reports of bed bugs. Bed bugs are a nuisance, but not disease carriers (please see the link below for additional information) or go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov.

The Ohio EPA has completed water testing at West Branch High School, West Branch Middle School, and the West Branch Athletic Building. We are pleased to report that there was no detection of lead in the water at any of the buildings. West Branch High School, Middle School, and Pre-School will re-open Wednesday, January 27, 2016.

All after school practices, activities, and games will take place as scheduled today, Tuesday, January 26, 2016. High School Varsity and J.V. Basketball Games vs. Carrollton will be held at West Branch High School tonight, as scheduled.

The Administration and School Board wish to thank students, parents and staff for their understanding.

Damascus Elementary went loud and proud to support freshman Melinda Trimmer as the YSU Penguins crushed Lake Erie College. The Lady Penguins improved to 8 and 1 on the season with their only loss coming to Penn State. Melinda Trimmer finished with 8 pts, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.

There are still 50 tags left on our Sharing Tree. Please think about coming in and taking one to help our local families out during this holiday season. All gifts need to be back by Monday, December 14th. Thank you!!

The Yougstown Symphony Orchestra performed for Grades 3/4 students from Damascus & Knox Elementary on Tuesday October 20, 2015. The show was arranged by elementary music instructor Mrs. Melissa Brand. The interactive show included children songs, rap, movie themes, layering and classics. The symphony is under the direction of Mr. Randall Craig Fleischer and concertmaster Ms. Rachel Stegeman. Click on the links from twitter to enjoy some of the concert. Mr. Robert Barnett former West Branch Band Director played with the symphony.

The West Branch Football Team will kick off the 2015 football season at Crestwood on Friday August 29, 2015. The Warriors will play 3 straight road games before their home opener on Friday September 18, 2015. All Games are at 7:00 PM

The West Branch Board of Education recognized Dr. Weingart for his years of service at West Branch Local Schools. He has been with West Branch for twenty years; the last eleven years as Superintendent. Thank you Dr. Weingart for your leadership. Dr. Weingart will retire as Superintendent effective July 31st.

Congratulations and Best Wishes to our High School Retiring Teachers:L to R: Mr. Lou Sellaroli, Mr. Mike Bardo, Mr. Terry Romigh, Mrs. Barb Sulka and Mrs. Nancy Whinnery. We appreciate all the dedication that they have shown to the students and community of West Branch. You will be missed.

Pictured here from left to right are the top three finalists in Mrs. Lesnett's Freshman Honors English Charity project: Allison Slutz (Street Life Ministries), Kylie Coffelt (Children's Cancer Research), and Zeina Katabi (National Eating Disorders). Students selected a charity, conducted fundraising, created a Public Service Announcement, completed an application/essay, and delivered a presentation on their charity. This year's winners were interviewed by Mr. Coffee, Miss Herman, and Mrs. Hartzell (retired teacher).

We thank you for attending the Royal Banquet and reception in honor of the Holidays. Princess Anna and Princess Elsa thank you for the warm reception. Have a wonderful break and a wonderful 2015!!! Click below to see pictures!

Come and join a DISTRICT wide and community wide celebration honoring the holiday season. There are many activities! Hanford Dixon, former Cleveland Browns Player will be at the events for pictures from 1 - 3. The tree lighting is at 5;30 PM with the West Branch Band Ensemble playing at 5:00 PM. Young and Alive will perform at 6;30 PM. There is games, art, music, food and shopping. Click below for a full list of times and locations.

Damascus kindergarten students counted to 50 and used the number 50 as the basis for all subjects on November 13,2014. The poodle skirts, leather jackets, and slick backed hair made for a fun day of learning that concluded in a sock hop.

Congratulations to Mikayla Fetters, Olivia Sexton, Geoff Galida, and Brogan Fisher who were selected for the Ohio Music Educators Association District 5 Honors Band this year! They will be rehearsing at Stambaugh Auditorium on Friday and then take part in the Honors Band concert on Saturday, November 8, 2014. Great job guys!

Clean Up day at Damascus Community Center Park is Saturday November 15th from 9:00am until 12:00pm. Bring a rake! This is a great opportunity to help the community and earn service credit or volunteer opportunites on an NHS application. Please see Mr. Fairfield to sign up.

The West Branch Board of Education will be holding their regular monthly meeting this Thursday, October 30, 2014. The meeting will take place at Knox Elementary School Cafeteria, 2900 Knox School Road, Alliance, Ohio 44601. The Study Session will begin at 6:00 pm and the Meeting will begin at 7:00 pm.

Many nights and week-ends you can find instructors preparing lessons in their rooms until 7:00 PM. The State of Ohio has intiatied many changes in a short time. The picture below shows teachers working on common assessments on October 10, 2014. Our teachers will be working on co-teaching and (FIP) Formative Instructional Practices on November 7, 2014.

West Branch High School has been named a Blue Ribbon School by the US Department of Education.The official announcement was made yesterday in Washington, DC. West Branch High School is one of only four Ohio high schools that was honored this year. There were 48 high schools in the United Sates that received this recognition. The Blue Ribbon Award recognizes high-performing schools that exceed the academic and co-curricular needs of students.

*Please note that students may only pick up their own schedules or it may be picked up by a parent. Also remember that schedules must be brought to school on September 3rd. Students who do not pick up their schedules may do so on the first day before school begins.

If your child is interested in joining the Fifth Grade Band this fall, please see Mr. Stehura's web page. You will find a packet of information about beginner band as well as the registration form. Our free summer lesson program for beginners starts Monday, June 9th!

West Branch High School participates in One Book One Community each spring. This event is a joint venture between Rodman Public Library, The Greater Alliance Foundation, The Alliance Review, and the University of Mount Union. This year’s author is Mr. Robin Yocum, and his book is titled The Essay. The story is set in the Appalachians of southeastern Ohio and features a 17-year old boy who belongs to a dysfunctional and desperately poor family. He wins an essay contest, but his English teacher must go to great lengths to defend his ability to write to the rest of the community. Mr. Yocum will be speaking to students in Mrs. Kidd’s and Mrs. Lesnett’s classes on Friday, March 21st in the auditorium. Students from Sebring will also be in attendance.

Our students were asked to submit their own essay – similar to that of the protagonist, Jimmy Lee. Avery Polinori’s essay was selected for submission to The Alliance Review. Please read his essay and that of runner-up, Destanee O’Neil, on this web page. If anyone would like to borrow a copy of this book, please see Mrs. Kidd or Mrs. Lesnett.

West Branch Middle School is sponsoring a Spirit Bus to transport middle school students to Barberton to see the High School Girls Basketball Regional Game on Saturday, March 8th, 2014.
This Permission Form must be filled out and turned in to the MS office by Friday morning to participate!

Please note that the starting time for the Boys' JV/Varsity Basketball game vs. Canton South on Friday, January 3, 2014 has been changed. The game will begin at 5:00 p.m. instead of 6:00 p.m. and will be held in the West Branch Field House.

The West Branch Middle School Teachers prepared and served a meal for the Community Fellowship Dinner on Monday February 25, 2013. The dinner is held every other Monday during the year at BL Miller School in Sebring. The dinner is for anyone in who seeks companionship or is in need of a hot meal. The meal was cooked and coordinated by Mrs. Diana Nordquest. About a dozen teachers assisted in the cooking, delivery, and serving. The tables were served by our HS cheerleaders. The excellent work crew was coordinated by cheerleading advisors Mrs. Denise Ginocchi and Mrs. Jackie Lyons. Student Council, under the direction of advisor Mrs. Amy Criss, provided snack packs for the guests to take home. The crew served over 270 meals for those in need in our area. Our staff and students demonstrate excellence not only in the classroom but in the community. Thank You!

The students, staff and community of Knox Elementary recently held their annual food drive for Thanksgiving. Students from each classroom brought in non-perishable and hygiene items that were collected by the 3rd and 4th grade student council members. The class that collected the most items won a pizza party donated by Hungry Howies of Alliance. This year's winning class was Mrs. Martig's 1st grade class by bringing in 23.6 items per student.

With the generous donations we were able to help twenty-five families in the Knox community. We also held a penny war and were able to purchase pumpkin pies for every family. Turkeys were donated once again this year by an anonymous donor.

We would like to thank everyone that helped and wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Eighth Grade band members Erica Scarpitti, Mike Jones, and Amanda Dean will be taking part in the District 5 Ohio Music Education Association Middle School honors band at Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown on November 16 and 17, with a performance concert at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17. Students from all over Mahoning, Trumbull, and Ashtabula counties will be participating in this wonderful music experience. Congratulations to our fine young musicians!

Veteran Day Assemblies will take place in all buildings over the next week. The public is welcome to attend and show their support for our military! Elementary students will sing and honor our Veterans.
The Middle School and High School Bands will perform at their building's assembly to honor Veterans.

A letter will come home to parents on Friday September 21, 2012 with instructions for establishing an account to view your child's grades on line. The new set-up gives you a registration key to enter. You will establish your own user name and password that can be emailed to you if you forget. There is a way to set up your children with an account;(p.32 on-line manual); however, a new student version will be released in a few weeks. We will then work with students at school to establish their account. Grades are viewable for parents with students in Grades 2 - 12. You can always call your school for additional assistance. If you need personal help, we will have a parent training on Tuesday September 25, 2012 in LAB A at West Branch Middle School.

Superintendent Dr. Scott Weingart and the West Branch administrative team hosted a New Teacher Breakfast Meeting for teachers new to the district at West Branch High school. The new teachers are (left to right) Kelly Brothers (high school language arts), Brooke Lancey (elementary art), Andrea Soltis (middle school language arts), Merrellyn Banks (high school intervention specialist), Dr. Weingart (superintendent), Beth Cooley (high school math), and Phil Rogers (high school biology).

The weather delayed the start of the West Branch Streetsboro Football Game. The crowd and the bands reported to the gym. The students cheered together and danced as one! When the public criticizes our youth, use this video to prove all that is right with our youth and schools today. We live in an outstanding community of welcoming kids. This is a blessing!

Ryan Johnson was a special person. He loved life and everything about it. A spirited, lighthearted and energetic young man, Ryan tragically passed while competing in the sport he loved: running. Each year, we run/walk a 5k in his hometown Beloit, OH in his honor. Whether you’re someone who shares his passion for running, who cares for him or who loves life as much as he did, we welcome you.

Please join us in celebrating Ryan’s life on Saturday May 13, 2017. The link below will provide the registration form with detailed information. Proceeds from the race help to sponsor a scholarship awarded to a member of the graduating class at WB each year.

The West Branch Local Schools is involved in OIP (Ohio Improvement Process). This means that we have a district level team made up of a variety of people from our community that collectively meet to plan for our district. The district level teams are seeking input on the climate of our district. Please sign on and take the survey so that we may better plan for the future of the West Branch Local Schools. We need input from students, staff, parents, and the community.

Young and Alive performs about 40 shows throughout the month of December. The group, directed by Mr. John Zamarelli is synonymouswith the Holiday Season. The group has received national recognition and will travel to Florida to performs at the Festival of Lights and Walt Disney World on New Years Eve. They students will also be performing at Downtown Disney, universal Studios and Sea World. Thank you students for your outstanding work and honor for our community. Listen into the sounds of the season.

West Branch Local Schools will hold a special meeting to provide information about the proposed school district income tax that will be on the ballot May 6, 2014. The public meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, 2014, in the West Branch Community Auditorium, located at the high school. The event will follow the regular March school board meeting which will precede the informational meeting.

West Branch Local Schools is participating in the Ohio Improvement Process and will be involved in a number of initiatives to help our staff prepare for the new learning content standards as well as a new series of State Tests for students. To help our staff prepare for these new requirements and mandates, West Branch will follow the two hour delay schedule for the following dates: September 19, October 10, November 7, December 5, February 6, March 27 and April 10.

On these days, teachers will report to school at the usual start time and will be engaged in two hours of professional development prior to the students arriving.

The West Branch District Leadership Team is comprised of parents, teachers, board members and adminstrators. The group of 25, meet monthly to plan a vision for the West Branch Local Schools. Yearly, we will be surveying groups for feedback to assist in planning for the present and future of the West Branch Local Schools. We ask all parents to please provide us with some feedback so that we together can continue to meet the needs of our students.

Additional Sign Ups for the Clinic will be Accepted on Monday, January 5, 2015 & Participants will be included in the tee shirt order!

Its never too early to think Spring! Come and get skill training from the HS Softball Staff and get ready to be a player this Spring. Click the link below for more information and registration FOR GIRLS IN GRADES 3 - 8. BEGINNING JAN 5, 2015

Its never too early to think Spring! Come and get skill training from the HS Softball Staff and get ready to be a player this Spring. Click the link below for more information and registration FOR GIRLS IN GRADES K - 2. Camp will be held on February 2nd and 3rd.

Attention Middle School & High School Band Parents: This is a delivery update since the One Call earlier today. The Delivery Truck is still delayed. The Band Boosters are asking parents and students to please come to the Bus Garage between 7:30 p.m. & 8:30 p.m. tonight to pick up their fruit orders. If you are unable to make it tonight, please call Kim Pigza at 216.262.6385 to make arrangements for pick up on Friday, March 6, 2015. Please check back here for any additional delivery updates this evening. Thank you.

Hey, are you in need of clothing? The Clothing Closet at the Middle School will be open on Thursday, January 21st from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Thursday, February 11th from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. We have all types of clothing, outerwear, and sports gear! Call Mrs. Hall at 330-938-4466 with any questions. All Are Welcome!

Come and learn and explore math with your children! The West Branch elementaries are piloting a new math program called Everyday Mathematics. The staff has been through extensive training coordinated by math coach Rachael Basalla. Math is fun and there are many supports and online access for parents. Come and explore the world of numbers and be smarter than a 4th grader.

Tryouts are for any 2-8th grader interested in being a main character in our show!! There are also many outstanding parts for dancers. You must have a tryout song prepared. It can be any song, but you must provide your own accompaniment, either sheet music or a CD. No one can sing A Cappella. You may sing a song such as Happy Birthday, or My Country Tis of Thee. You may be asked to read lines or dance during this audition- scripts will be provided there.

West Branch will receive a percentage of ALL pre-sale tickets sold,
so buy your tickets early and come out to
support your Lady Warriors!! All pre-sale tickets will be $7; all tickets at the door will be $8.

**Reiminder there is also a $2 parking fee at Barberton High School
(555 Barber Road, Barberton).

Freshman Orientation Camp

Calling all travelers! The West Branch Tour Group will be traveling to London, Paris, and Amsterdam in 2018. High school students (including current 8th graders who will be in high school next year), parents, staff, and West Branch graduates are welcome to participate. There will be an informational meeting on Wednesday, October 18th at 6pm in the high school library. You can reserve your spot that night with only a $50 deposit. See the flyer below for details.

On Thursday, October 12, 2017, the West Branch Local Schools will conduct a "Parent/Teacher Conference Program". Conferences at the high school and middle school will be scheduled between 3:00 - 8:30 and at the elementaries from 3:30 p.m. -- 9:00 p.m. Each school will also break for dinner. Please call the school for their exact times.

Conferences are held to develop a better understanding of a student's progress and will be of mutual benefit as we work together on behalf of each student.

If you wish to meet with your child's teacher and do not get a request from the school, please contact the office to schedule an appointment.

On Thursday, February 16, 2017, the West Branch Local Schools will conduct a “Parent /Teacher Conference Program”. Conferences are held to develop a better understanding of a student’s progress and will be of mutual benefit as we work together on behalf of each student.

If you have not received a request to meet with your child's teacher and wish to do so, please contact your child's school.

The Grades 5 & 6 staffs are not only busy preparing to open the year, but preparing for a two day camp for the new incoming students. The staff has put in enormous hours to provide students with a two day experience focusing on Science, Technology, and team building.The students will stay into the evening both days for an extended learning opportunity. The teachers work collaboratively with Mr. Kitzmiller, Mr. Walker and PIE to provide students with positive learning and life long memories. Camp will occur on September 13/14.

"Christmas in the Country"November 3 from 10:00 - 4:00West Branch Middle School

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) is the first prime-time animated TV special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. The Damascus Elementary cafeteria was transformed by parent volunteers who wanted to provide a special holiday meal for the students. During the meal the children were greeted by “Snoopy” himself.

In recent weeks the students participated in a competitive coin drive where they raised approximately $2500.00 dollars. Additional community donations increased the total to approximately $5000.00 dollars. All contributions are distributed back to the community to guarantee qualifying families have a joyful holiday with gifts for their children.

The West Branch Local Schools is involved in OIP (Ohio Improvement Process). This means that we have a district level team made up of a variety of people from our community that collectively meet to plan for our district. The district level teams are seeking input on the climate of our district. Please sign on and take the survey so that we may better plan for the future of the West Branch Local Schools. We need input from students, staff, parents, and the community.

Congratulations to the third grade students of Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Roelen and Mrs. Utt on their wax museum. The hallways were adorned with dignitaries such as Emily Dickinson, Amelia Earhart, Daniel Boone, Stonewall Jackson, Sir Alexander Fleming and Sacajawea.

Sunday June 8, 2014 will mark the first annual WARRIOR reading party at Barnes and Noble in Boardman. The party will run from 12 - 4PM! Parents will have an ability to have their children get books. When a child reads 8 books, he or she will receive 1 FREE BOOK. Just keep records on the log sheet and return to Barnes and Noble. The log does not have to be purchased books.

The key to academic greatness is READ,READ,READ! Children will come home with a flyer and voucher with their final report card. We also have them attached on-line. We have a log sheet to track summer reading.

Join us Sunday June 8, 2014 for a party. We will even have book fishing. If you cannot make it that day, you can order on-line and use our voucher so that the schools receive credit through June 13, 2014. All proceeds will go to pay for supplies for RIGHT TO READ WEEK 2015! Your schools receive 10% OF ALL SALES. So come and support your child and your schools. Guarantee academic success for the 2014 - 2015 school year. READ....READ...READ!

Thanks to the generous contribution of students, the NHS and the VO-AG Department, WBHS was able to make a sizable donation to the Second Harvest Food Bank which services Mahoning and Columbiana Counties. The donation also included fresh fruit provided by the Vo-AG Department.

Click the link below to vote for Pavin Heath for JJHuddle's Girls Basketball player of the week. Pavin hit 5 three point shots and surpassed 1000 points for her career in West Branch's win over Salem. Pavin is the second nominee from West Branch. Melinda Trimmer was previoulsy nominated. You may vote as many times as you'd like.

The Board of Education Meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 29, 2015 will start at 7:00 pm in the West Branch High School Cafeteria. The meeting will honor all students who received all A's for the first grading period. All students who attend will recieve their all A's certificate and they will be entered into a drawing for an IPAD mini!

The West Branch Local Schools cannot go to hours until the 2016 - 2017 school year. Some school districts have transitioned to hours this year due to starting a new collective bargaining agreement.

According to the Record Courrier (1/6/15)..."The change in state law from days to hours does not apply to school districts with collective bargaining agreements that were executed prior to July 1, 2014."

This means that the closure for 2/20/15 means another make-up day.

Click below for the district calendar adotped in February 2014 for make-up details. The district can add June 4th or look at extending days. For those districts on days, the state allots FIVE calamity days!

SCHOOL WILL BE CLOSED ON GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015 UNDER THE ADOPTED CALENDAR

West Branch will meet Chagrin Falls in the Regional Semi-Finals on Tuesday, March 10 at 6:15 PM. Tickets are on sale NOW in the West Branch High School Office. Spirit buses will be going from the Middle School and High School.

The Rebecca Bricker Memorial Scholarship Committee will award two scholarships to a college junior or senior majoring in Elementary Education. Majors such as art, music, speech, etc. may be considered by the committee.

Below please find the forms that must be completed and returned to the Superintendent's Office by no later than July 15th.

Sunday, March 22, 2015 @ 1:00 p.m.

West Branch Students under the direction of Mr. Steve Mountz received various awards at the recent Mahoning County Art Show that was held at the MCCTC. Drew Fetters, pictured above, is shown receiving the Special District Award. Connie Cross, pictured below, received the 2nd place in illustration award. Taylor Vence received an honorable mention in pastels and Anissa Lautzenhauser received an honorable mention in sculpture. Congratulations to our winners and participants.

Congratulations and good luck to Sophia Gregory, fourth grader at Knox Elementary, as she travels to California this week to participate in the National Pitch, Hit, and Run competition. Sophia won in her age group at the local level during school in April. She then moved on to compete in Kent where she advanced to Cleveland. Sophia participated and won in Cleveland which sends her to California to participate in the National Competition.

There are three participants in each age group that move on to Nationals. Sophia is participating against two girls from California. Sophia will get to experience the Home Run Derby, All Star game, along with participating in the Pitch, Hit, and Run! Again, GOOD LUCK to Sophia! We are so proud of you!

Softball Clinics will be held for all girls in K - 6th grade in January and February. Please click on the Grade Level flyers below to print, fill out and return to your child's gym teacher by no later than Friday, January 13, 2017

The Sebring-West Branch Girls Fastpitch League will be holding sign ups for the 2017 summer league at each clinic.

A suspected bed bug was found at West Branch High School. The classroom will be profesionally treated. For further information, please see the information sheet attached or call the Superintendent's Office at 330-938-9324.

A Lifetouch photographer captured each graduate as they received their diploma. They also took candid photos before and after graduation. Your graduation diploma and candid portraits will be available online to view and purchase. Please allow one week after graduation for images to become available.

Have an interest in international travel? We are exploring the possibility of a West Branch Tour Group. If there is enough interest, the West Branch Tour Group would travel internationally every other year. Please take the survey below so we have an idea of how many people may be interested. We will then hold an informational meeting in October.

2011 -- 2012 High School Yearbooks Have ArrivedThese can be picked up during regular school hours.
A few extras are available on a first come, first served basis.
If you have any questions, please call the high school at 330-938-2183.

Why are we EXCELLENT WITH DISTINCTION? Even during a fire drill our students continue to work after exiting the building swiftly and safely! This is why our kids and staff are EXCELLENT WITH DISTINCTION!

We are excited to share this wonderful, fun-filled night with the children and families of our community. With your support we can make this a memorable moment for all. Your support is vital to our success. Below you can learn more and see an order form for pre-sale tickets and times of available volunteer shifts. Please return the forms with your student to school. Pre-Sale tickets purchased can be picked up in the office beginning Thursday, May 7th or picked up at the ticket booth the day of the carnival. Tickets are available for purchase in the school office until Friday, May 8th. No tickets will be sent home with students. Thank you in advance for your continued support of the Damascus Elementary PIE Spring Carnival.

Various community organizations, clubs, programs, and specialized businesses will be on hand to offer information and answer questions. Parents can come and browse at their convenience to learn what kind of help, support, and activities are available in the West Branch area. Free of charge!

Interested in joining the band? Go to Mr. Stehura's homepage for all the information from our beginner band meeting. You will find the meeting agenda, free lesson schedule, and the registration form. Please call or email Mr. Stehura with any questions or concerns."

Report cards will be carried home on the final day of classes (June 4, 2014) in Kindergarten through Grade 8. All fees need to be paid to receive your final report card.

High School students will need to bring in a self-addressed stamped envelope to have their report card mailed home. High school report cards will be mailed by June 13 pending the averaging of final exams.

Students in Grades 3 - 8 can receive a copy of their state testing results by bringing in a self-addressed stamped envelope to the office by June 4, 2014. Otherwise,students will receive state testing results at the beginning of the 2014 - 2015 school year. These should be mailed by June 27, 2014 pending the state shipment of results.

We would like to congratulate the following FFA students that achieved high
awards at both the Columbiana and Mahoning County Fairs. At Columbiana Fair the following members won awards; Alec Courtney won Grand Champion Shorthorn Bull, Sarah Fraser won Grand Champion Dairy Beef Feeder, Maddie Pidgeon won first in her Class with her Steer, Jake Smith won Reserve Champion Market Hog and was Showman of Showman with his steer. Kira Sharp was Reserve Champion Project Steer and Kyla Sharp won Reserve Market Steer and Grand Champion Project Steer. Whitney Wallace won her class with her steer.

At the Mahoning County Fair the following members won awards; Mitchell Craig won Grand Champion Dairy Beef Feeder and Casey Ruthrauff won Grand Champion Cheese.

Congratulations FFA Members on another successful fair season. By winning these championships the FFA students earned over $30,000 in premium to be used for college expenses or to put back into their own herds.

Mrs. Scofinsky and Mr. Tucker co-taught a unit on motion to Grade 1 students. The unit combines Math and Science. Students learned principals of motion and distribution. The students initially had one long row of 24 connected scooters. Students discovered that the one long row of 24 could not be moved. The students could be moved in 2 rows of 12 and 4 rows of 6. Every student now knows that 4 sixes and 2 twelves make 24. They also understand the system of pulleys and motion. Students made a hypothesis and performed their lab to experiment with their hypothesis.

Global Language classes held a holiday celebration hosted by the French Classes. Also, student Zach Quear shared a slide show presentation and spoke about his experiences traveling abroad this past summer.

Saturday, February 7, 2015

The Junior Varsity Girls Game will begin at 3:30 pm and the Varsity Girls Game will begin at approximately 5:00 pm. West Branch High School Student Tickets are $1.00 for this game and are available at school this week.

Final Four T-shirts Sale

Final Four T-shirts will be on sale Wednesday and Thursday from 4:00 - 6:30 p.m. in the High School Gym Lobby. They are $10.00 each and all proceeds go to the Lady Warriors Basketball Team. There are a limited number of shirts available.

West Branch Board of Education has announced the first winners of the West Branch Local Schools Innovative Technology Grant. The board of education received 11 applications for classroom innovation for students. A grant review team comprised of four teachers, a county consultant and two board members met to review the applications. The West Branch teachers showed their dedication by writing their proposals. All applications were well done and the board dedicated over $45,000 to infuse new ideas into the district. Grant winners are Kevin Buckley and the high school science department, Measure, Analyze, Learn with Verner Equipment, $17,000; McKenzie Wallace, high school, grade nine writing lab, $12,000; Allyson Burkey, Damascus Elementary, Differentiating Instruction with Kindles, $1,900; Annie Cushman and Amber Wilson, Damascus Elementary, presentation and online assessment laptop cart, $12,000; Bridgit Scofinsky, Damascus Elementary, story builders with IPADS, $2,100. Pictured are, first row, from left, Cushman, Burkey, Wilson; second row, Wallace, Buckley, Scofinsky.

Please click on our New link on the left hand side of this webpage and fill out our online form. Please note that Proof of Residency is required to be turned in, in order to finish this process and to set up busing, if needed. Thank you.

Over the next two weeks of summer vacation, West Branch Teachers K- 4 are in Training on Math techniques and Everyday Math curriculum. Teachers will be using improved practice and materials to assist in student growth and development. Our new materials will have a home link component to assist parents in understanding what children are experiencing in classrooms.We will be scheduling Family Math Parent Nights in Late September or early October,so that parents can experience and understand how to use the new tools at home. Technology, gives us a chance for stronger connections between school and home.We hope that you will attend our Family Math Nights.

On Friday, October 30th, the cafeteria at Damascus turned into the wilds of the world. Students presented their habitat as hundreds traveled through the zoo. The Grade 1 teachers combined to bring Science to life. Great Job...Students...Teachers...Community.

Students at Damascus Elementary celebrated Thanksgiving as a Damascus Family on 11/19/15. The meal was prepared by cooks Kathy Reichenbach, Stephanie Dailey, and Tracy Muckleroy. The food was served by our wonderful parent group. The parents spent two weeks decorating the cafeteria as students attended as Pilgrims and Indians. The decorations were highlighted by a giant turkey that had each child's name on feathers by class. Carol Bradway coordinated the parents in set-up and clean up.

The West Branch Board of Education is currently searching for a new superintendent. Qualified candidates interested in applying should submit their information by February 29th. For additional information, please see the attached brochure.

West Branch Local Schools is recognized by the National Association of Music Merchants as "Best Community for Music Education in the United States". We are among 32 Ohio school districts and 476 across the country to earn this recognition.

The organization recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who work together to ensure access to music-learning for all students as part of the school curriculum.

Mr. Timothy Saxton, Superintendent of West Branch Local Schools is pleased to announce that Mrs. Caitlin Reash has been named as the new Damascus Elementary School Principal. She will replace Mr. Matthew Manley who was recently named Superintendent of the Crestview Local School District and will officially begin her new duties on August 12th.

Mrs. Reash is a graduate of West Branch High School and received her undergraduate and master’s degree from the University of Mount Union. She has a background in early childhood education and psychology. She has taught the last six years in the East Liverpool and Crestview school districts.

Mrs. Reash added,” I would like to thank the West Branch Board of Education for giving me the opportunity to come home and work with the community that helped make me who I am today. I am honored to take over where Mr. Manley left off. These are big shoes to fill, but I am excited and ready for the challenge.”

Mrs. Reash looks forward to working with the staff, students and parents. Please stop by and meet her during the Damascus Elementary Open House on Tuesday, September 6th from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Come out and support your favorite team as the Junior Girls take on the Senior Girls in a game of Football. This fun filled event is open to all sports fans. Your attendance is appreciated! Any Junior or Senior girl interested in playing must sign up in the HS Main Office.

Open Enrollment forms will be accepted at West Branch High School beginning at 8:00 am on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 through Monday, May 15, 2017 at 4:00 pm. Please click on the links below for the appropriate applications and guidelines. If you have any additional questions about Open Enrollment, please call the Superintendent's Office at 330-938-9324 during school hours.

West Branch Middle School was recently honored at the Ohio School Boards Association annual Northeast Region Fall Conference. WBMS was presented with a certificate for being designated an Ohio Department of Education SCHOOL OF MOMENTUM after receiving all "A's" on the state report card for student growth in 2016. The staff at WBMS truly deserves to be recognize for all their hard work and dedication in helping their students to grow in so many ways! Accepting the award for the Middle School was Brian Baldwin, Susan Baldwin, John Young (Assistant Principal), Amy Criss, and Rachelle Ring.

Congratulations to the Warrior wrestlers on their victory in the Painesville Riverside Rumble, winning the tournament by over 100 points. Champions were Alec Schopfer, Travis Pidgeon, Zach Ruggles, and Connor Sharp.

The Ohio Education Minute is a series of one-minute spots designed to highlight interesting and relevant topics in education. Please feel free to download files for use in your radio broadcasts and podcasts.

What's Changing in Ohio Education

There are several initiatives impacting Ohio schools over the next few years. These are several one-page handouts that explain some of the big issues along with a timeline of key implementation dates.

Good Luck Students. You are so prepared to continue our tradition of excellence! You have worked hard and so have your teachers! Get some sleep, and relax for you know the answers! Good Luck on Reading, Math, and Science! Just Win! Thank you parents for your help and support!

Students in Mrs. Lesnett’s Honors English class worked on a charity project throughout the second semester.Each student chose a charitable organization and planned a course of action for fundraising.All charities were presented in class along with a Public Service Announcement created by the students.

The Grade 3 students from Knox and Damascus combined for a concert on December 12 before about 700 people at the West Branch Auditorium. The theme of the holidays and the American Revolution combined to focus on traditions of 1776 vs. now. The choir was superbly directed by Mrs. Melissa Brand. Music is a staple of our schools and is a necessary component for our children. Thank you Mrs. Brand and children for your gift of music.

The 2014 West Branch Board of Education will comprise of Eric Glista, Mikki Kanagy, Lori McLaughlin, Earl Trimmer and John Wallace.

This past November Mr. Glista was the newly elected member to replace the retiring member, Terry Criss. Mr. Trimmer and Mr. Wallace were both re-elected for another four year term to expire in 2017, while Mrs. Kanagy and Mrs. McLaughlin are continuing their terms through 2015.

For additional information regarding each member, please click on the Board of Education tab on the right hand of this page and follow the links to their information.

All athletes interested in participating in high school golf this Fall need to report to Flying "B" Golf course on Friday, August 1, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. Please contact Coach Allison at the high school office (330-938-2183).

Both Knox and Damascus will welcome parents for an Open House on Tuesday September 2, 2014. The rooms will be open from 4:00 - 6:00 PM. Students can bring their supplies in and meet their teachers. There will be a meeting for all kindergarten parents at 5:30PM in your child's kindergarten classroom. We will have child care available during the 5:30 PM kindergarten meeting.

Next Tuesday, December 9, at 6:30 pm, our district 3rd graders will be presenting their Christmas program.

The children should wear nice clothes (Christmas if you have them). Girls should not have high heels, as we will be on the risers and this could pose a problem. Also, if you have bell necklace for your child to wear, we will be using bells during one of our songs.

We need to meet at the High School Cafeteria on Tuesday evening by 6:15. Children should leave their coats with their parents.

The children will be having a group practice at the High School, in the morning, on Dec. 9. Car rider students need to be brought straight to the High School that morning. Bus riding students will be brought to the High School by bus.

Let’s have a great program! The kids are super excited to perform their songs for you! Merry Christmas!

Community Bus to Columbus on Friday, March 20, 2015

The West Branch Alumni Association will sponsor a Community Bus to the State Semi Final Play-Off Game in Columbus on Friday, March 20, 2015. The cost is $40.00 and includes the ticket to the game and round trip transportation on a Deluxe Motor Coach. We must have 40 riders signed up by Noon on Thursday, March 19, 2015, in order for the trip to go. Those interested should call the Athletic Department at 330.938.4408 prior to noon on Thursday, March 19, 2015. The bus will leave from the parking lot in front of the high school auditorium at 10:00 a.m. on Friday and return at approximately 9:00 p.m.

Congratulations to fall athletes for an outstanding fall! We wish our class of 2016 seniors the best of luck! Thank you for your leadership! Your experiences on the field, court, and classroom makes you a leader prepared for life. Thank you to the band and cheerleaders for making our Warrior spirit strong! Your leadership inspires!

Students in Mrs. Scofinsky's class are being recognized by the MahoningCounty Educational Service Center for their applied learning. Please click the link below to hear from Mrs. Ski and to view her students excellence,

Congratulations to all of the West Branch Middle School students who were selected to participate in this year's spelling bee, which was held on Tuesday, January 12th. Special congratulations to the runner ups, Carleigh Loudon and Ally Zion and champion, Ashlyn Pinkerton. Ashlyn will represent West Branch at the regional competition in Youngstown.

Are you aware of what your child may be doing on their cell phone? Be an informed parent and attend an evening seminar held at the Mahoning County Career Center on April 19th. Hit the link below and get more information!

The West Branch Local School District will accept Open Enrollment applications for the 2016-2017 school year starting at 8:00 am on Friday, April 15th through Friday, May 13, 2016 until 4:00 pm. Completed applications need to be returned to the Superintendent's Office located inside West Branch High School.

The Boys’ and Girls’ Warrior Basketball programs will be holding their 2nd Annual Basketball Tip Off Dinner on Saturday, November 12th at 6:00 at Boneshakers in Salem! The event includes: Dinner, Music, a Silent Auction, a Reverse Raffle and fun for all that attend.

High school students recently attended the NBC Leadership Camp at Camp Muskingum. They participated in team building activites with other students from NBC Schools and heard guest speaker, David Kohout, give an inspirational and heart felt talk on leadership. Students representing West Branch were Spencer Hoops, Mackenzie Erb, Kirsten Plocher, Canaan McDaniel, Jonathan Ross, Reese Leone, Delaney Rito, Bailey Boosz, Bailey Campbell, and Brock Smith.

On Friday October 12, 2012, the West Branch students and teachers had a day off from the school. The WB Teachers work a day during the summer, so October 12th is a day off. However, many teachers still attended learning opportunities. Seven Teachers attended the Mc Tech conference at the Mahoning County Career Center. The teachers left with some outstanding tips on how to integrate technology into their classrooms. The teachers attending the Tech Conference were: Ms Brooke Lancey, Mrs. Cindy Helms, Mrs. Chris Lydic, Mrs. Treva Cline, Mr. Scott Helsley, Mr. Aaron Berstein, and Mrs. Necole Carlisle.

Thank you everyone for your patronage of the Annual MS Craft Show. We had over 90 vendors this year and lots of great food. The Craft Show was organized by Lana Tipton, Lori Mickey, and Sherri Gibbons. The food was coordinated by Nancy Penrod. Thank you to the many teachers, students, and parents that volunteered!All pictures with Santa are at the left tab under Photo Galleries at both the district and MS web page. Look on the left for Photo Galleries. In the meantime, enjoy the sounds of Ms. Kylie Dean!

Thank you West Branch Community for your support of the Arts! Annie closed its 4 performance run on February 3, 2013. The final show was a complete sell-out! The show directed by Mr. John Zamarelli featured over a 175 students in Grades k-12. Check out the finale on You Tube!

The West Branch School Board and Administration will host a series of meetings to provide important information about the new Ohio School Funding Formula recently proposed by the Kasich Administration. School District Treasurer Dan Telzrow will present information that explains how the Governor’s School Funding Proposal will impact West Branch Local Schools. A question and answer session facilitated by Dr. Scott Weingart, superintendent, will follow the brief presentation.

The District has scheduled four meetings at all four buildings in the West Branch system. The meetings are all open to the public. The first meeting was held at Knox Elementary School on March 14, 2013. A second meeting will be held in the West Branch High School Cafeteria on Tuesday, March 19, at 6:00 p.m. On Thursday, March 21, a third meeting will be held in the cafetorium at West Branch Middle School at 7:00 p.m. A final meeting will be held at Damascus Elementary School in the cafeteria at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26.

The West Branch School Board and Administration invite and encourage parents and community members to attend any meeting that is convenient.

Listen to Bryan Stehura play TAPS at the Damascus Memorial Day Observance. Then click Photo Galleries in the left column on the Damascus Elementary school page or the link below to see the day in pictures.

New Student Registration (Grades K-12) is now closed and will reopen on Thursday, September 7, 2017. Registration hours are 7:30 am - 2:30 pm. New Student Registration will take place in the Superintendent's Office located inside West Branch High School.

The Warrior Wipeout served to be a fun and challenging event for young, big, old and small in its inaugural debut. The proceeds earned will be used for purchasing technology throughout the district, and a BIG “Thank You” goes out to the many sponsors, volunteers and participants that made this event such a great success. Please check the link “Warrior Wipeout”, under the community section tab, to see official race times, pictures and to view sponsorships of this event. Thank You Again!

Grades 1 & 4 students get exposed to dentistry. The students learned their Science in an applied manner while building connections in the community.

Grade 1 students went through stations manned by the staff at Dietrich Orthodontics. Students explored dentistry in a hands on manner. Grade 4 students visited Bailey orthodontics. The students went through four stations and learned about the process of braces and healthy teeth.

Pictures from both trips are listed on the left side of the Damascus web page under photo galleries.

Congratulations to Millie Austin, a 2012 graduate of West Branch High School, for receiving the American FFA Degree in November 2013.

The American FFA Degree is the highest degree you can receive in FFA. It is also a degree that less than two percent of all FFA members receive! This is such a huge accomplishment for Millie. It takes countless hours of book work, individual work with farm animals and projects, and community service.

Tickets go on sale for the Harlem Wizards on Saturday Feb 1, 2014 at the West Branch Athletic Office. The prices are: $8.00 students and $10.00 adults pre-sale only. Tickets cost $2.00 MORE on the day of the event. Buy early and Save! You will be able to purchase your tickets on the web for .99 CENT SURCHARGE PER TICKET. More information coming soon!

We welcome our new KINDERGARTEN students....THE CLASS OF 2027. We have had 60 incoming kindergarten students participate in Success by Six for three weeks this summer. All kindergarten students will report on September 3, 2014. There is no staggered start!!!!!!!

How would you like to use your talents to read with our youth? If you are out of college and need some student loan relief, then you may make a strong classroom helper. Maybe you are older and could use some income. An AmeriCorps volunteer makes $640.00 a month.

Can you find it in your heart to impact our youth? If you can, please call Mrs. Mabbott at Knox (330-938- 1121) or Mr. Manley at Damascus (330-938-4500) for more information. Click the link below for more specific information!

Congratulations to eighth grade Science teacher Mr. Dale Morckel who was selected as the Alliance Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Month! Mr. Morckel's name is synonymous with Science education at West Branch Middle School and he will be retiring at the end of this school year. Mr. Morckel is pictured with Alliance Chamber member Mrs. Linda Harris who presented the award.

Two of our WBHS finest students Katie Stowe (Elsa) and Anissa Lautzebheiser (Anna) visited with Damascus Elementary Students during their Christmas Luncheon. Elsa and Anna enjoyed meeting their fans and had many photos taken.

THE STATE OF OHIO HAS CANCELED THE NEW GENERATION READING TEST KNOWN AS PARCC FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR ONLY! GRADE 3 STUDENTS WILL TAKE THE OLDER ASSESSMENT KNOWN AS AN OAA ON APRIL 29, 2015. STUDENTS WILL NEED TO GET A SCORE OF 394 ON THE OAA TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE 3RD GRADE READING GUARANTEE. GRADE 3 STUDENTS WILL TAKE THE NEW ASSESSMENT,PARCC, IN MATH THIS YEAR. PLEASE REFER TO THE BUILDING PAGES FOR SPECIFIC TESTING SCHEDULES!

The adoption of a school calendar is a difficult decision that cannot make everyone happy. The decision has to incorporate the needs for students and the needs of families. We surveyed our kids, through Google survey, and know that about 15% of our kids have projects or animals at the fair. A committee of 15 worked through several meetings to come up with the best decision possible for all parties. Labor Day is late (Sept 7, 2015) which made the decision more difficult. We knew that we needed to be closed during the fair; yet with state demands, we needed additional instructional days earlier. Our 2015 - 2016 calendar attempts to accomplish both while giving families time together at the holidays. The calendar is pretty consistent with most schools in our county.

Take I-71 South to I-270 West and proceed 2-3 miles to Route 315 South. Follow approximately 4 miles. Exit at Ackerman Road and turn left. Turn right on Fred Taylor Drive, or proceed to Olentangy River Road and turn right.

The West Branch Local School District will accept Open Enrollment forms between April 15th and May 15, 2015 in the Superintendent's Office located inside West Branch High School. Please use the correct form below when applying. For questions regarding our Open Enrollment forms and guidelines, please call the Superintendent's Office at 330.938.9324 and ask for Anna.

On Friday May 19, 2015 the Damascus building highlighted the Right to Read week theme of reduce, reuse and recylcle. The school in conjunction with the Mahoning County Green Team held its first annual "Trash Bash!" Each classroom had to design an outfit of recycled material for their teacher. Students had to create a powerpoint and speak about their outfit while the teachers paraded down the runway. Click Below for some pictures of the outfits.

The Warpath Athletic Renovations Committee is a collaborative effort in the West Branch Local School District among parents, community members, business leaders and the West Branch Board of Education. This year, West Branch is partnering with #GivingTuesday, an international day of giving.

West Branch is currently undergoing a multi-phase project that will ultimately allow for a renovated stadium and athletic complex, located next to West Branch High School. With the completion of Phase 1, Phase 2 of the renovations will include upgrading the existing bleachers to more functional seating, with handicap accessible access. Also, a new, more advanced scoreboard, with video display, will be added for better viewing by all at athletic events.

With the growth of the athletic programs, the continued maintenance of the athletic facilities is a necessity in the years to come in order to see these programs' continual success. The financing and support can be completed by donors like you! Taking place this year on Tuesday, December 1, 2015, #GivingTuesday reminds people about the importance of giving by inspiring them to improve their communities and support causes.

By donating to the Warpath in support of these upgrades, you are helping improve thousands of students, parents, community members and guests experience. Show your warrior pride and donate today. We’ve joined the Warpath… Will you?

Take the WHO challenge!!!! Can you make the Grinch's heart Grow? You can do that by donating to the Penny Wars AND by performing Random Acts of Kindness!

Wear a Grinch Shirt or Green Clothes on Dec 1! Please do not wear costumes, masks, or colored hair.

Bring pennies for the Penny War!You’ll get a small heart to add to the Grinch display to make his heart grow 3 sizes! Money collected will be used to help families from our community.

Watch for Cindy Lou Who’s Daily Kindness Challenge!Will you help her change the Grinch? Check the cafeteria board daily! Return the attached certificate!

We will hang them in the cafeteria to fill the Grinch’s Bag with Good Deeds! We will mail all of the certificates to Random House Publishing before Christmas Break. For every certificate returned, First Book will donate a book to a child in need.

Get Grinched!Have your picture taken at lunch with the Grinch Cam. Downloadable pictures will be posted to our web site to show we are growing our hearts together! Cindy Lou Here Dec 1/18

Please click on the link below for our preschool application. All applications are due by March 31, 2016. Please mail completed applications to West Branch Middle School, 14409 Beloit Snodes Road, Beloit, OH 44609. Applications may also be dropped off to the Middle School Office.

Please click on the link below for our preschool application. All applications are due by March 10, 2017. Please mail completed applications to West Branch Middle School, 14409 Beloit Snodes Road, Beloit, OH 44609. Applications may also be dropped off to the Middle School Office.

In an effort to improve communication the West Branch Local School District is providing parents, students and community members with a new way to stay connected with the schools. The district launched a free mobile app on April 27, 2017. This app allows users to receive customizable school news, school building and district calendars, push notifications, texts messages and more - all directly on their smartphone and mobile devices.

The “West Branch Local School District” app is available for download for iPhone and Android users in the App Store, and the online iTunes and Google Play app stores. Parents are not required to download the app to continue to receive school communications, but app users have access to a number of tools that will make those communications more convenient.

Designed to make it more convenient and easier than ever for parents and families to stay informed the mobile app offers a regularly updated feed of important school news and events. Users can customize the app by selecting the schools they are most interested i for news and updates. Users can also choose to receive push notifications to quickly get news and updates about school closures and emergencies, events and more.

It is our belief that our students are more successful in school when parents are engaged in their learning and school activities. With our new mobile app, individuals can stay connected with our schools and with the activities our students are engaged in every day.

Ohio Department of Education Releases District and School Report Cards

The Ohio Department of Education will release the 2017 Ohio School Report Cards. At this link, you will find spreadsheets which have district, school, community school, dropout recovery and prevention school, and career tech school grades, along with the Report Card Guide.

There are no new measures on the 2016 - 2017 report cards. Districts and schools are graded on six components - Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Graduation Rate, K-3 Literacy and Prepared for Success. Districts and schools received an A-F grade on each of the six components and most of the individual measures.

All building staff attended a 3 hour workshop on how to deal with an active shooter. The West Branch Local School takes a proactive approach to protect our children. The session was conducted by former School Resource Officer Craig Crider. All building staff learned strategies to assist in keeping our children safe. The West Branch Local Schools thank Office Crider for his expertise! We also thank the Salem Police Department for allowing Officer Crider to be with us!

Differentiating Instruction

All teaching staff attended a 3 hour workshop to assist in strategies to meet the needs of all students in a classroom. The workshop was taught by Dr. Lisa Dieker from the University of Central Florida. Dr. Dieker is a Gates Foundation Scholar and one of her books is on the best seller’s. Dr. Dieker had a busy week. She went from Orlando to New York City to be with the Cast of Sesame Street before joining us!

On Saturday May 18 27 West Branch Teachers attended a workshop focusing on co-teaching strategies from 8:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Their dedication exemplifies why this community chooses to send their kids to our schools. Teaching is not an 8 – 3 job. Teaching is a passion!!!!!!

Behavior Management

All bus drivers, aides and nurses were trained in deescalating aggressive behavior. The session taught by Mrs. Alana Niemiec, Psychologist and Miss Liz Crawford had staff moving an examining ways to deal with aggressive behavior.

Posted On: Friday, August 30, 2013

New Student Registration is now open. Registration Hours are from 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. in the Superintendent's Office located inside West Branch High School. Please click on the following link for Registration Requirements and Forms.

West Branch High Softball will be hosting a softball clinic for any girls in kindergarten through 8th grade. The clinic will be held at West Branch High School and they will meet in the gym lobby. The dates and times for the clinic are Tuesday, February 4th; Wednesday, February 5th and Thursday, February 6th, 5:45-8:00 p.m. The cost is $25 and the registration deadline is Tuesday, January 21st. All checks are to be made payable to West Branch Softball. Sign ups will be accepted through the first day of the clinic, but if you sign up after the deadline you are not guaranteed a t shirt. Sign up forms are available in the school offices. Participants should bring their own glove, a bat if they have one, sweat pants to slide in and tennis shoes, NO SPIKES. If you have any questions, please contact Coach Woods at Knox Elementary 330-938-1138 or email her at sis.woods@wbwarriors.org.

Ohio weather is very unpredictable and we never know how many calamity days our school district will use. Currently, the State of Ohio permits five calamity days that do not have to be made up. In addition to these five days, West Branch has been granted an additional three days known as “Blizzard Bag” make up days. According to current state guidelines, we are able to make up an additional three days by using “Blizzard Bag/Calamity Day Activities.”

As of January 31, 2014, West Branch has exceeded the five calamity days allotted by the State and we are using Blizzard Bag/Calamity Day Activities to make up work. As of January 31, 2014, Knox students need to complete two blizzard bag day activities. All other West Branch students need to complete one day of Blizzard Bay/Calamity Day activities.

Teachers have posted Blizzard Bag/Calamity Day Activities on their web pages. Students will have two weeks from the date of the school closure to complete the Blizzard Bag/Calamity Day Activities. Students who do not have access to the internet from home, will receive their “Blizzard Bag” assignments when they return to school. If parents have questions or concerns, please contact the principal of your child’s school.

The WBMS Academic Challenge Team competed against Marlington and Alliance on Feb. 25th at the Dewalt Chapel at the University of Mount Union. Team members are (left to right): Camryn Sutton, Allison Slutz, and Kylie Dean. Gifted teacher, Mrs. Susan Hartzell (not pictured) is the team advisor. The girls did a great job!

Looks can be deceiving.
That’s the message behind a unique traveling exhibit created by the Bath and Copley Township Police Departments. The display is called “Hidden in Plain Sight.” The departments constructed what appears to be at first glance the bedroom of the average teenager. But amidst the clutter of clothing scattered on the floor, school supplies on a desk and personal care products on a vanity are more than 150 items that can actually be signals that a young person could be involved in risky, dangerous and even illegal activity.

“Hidden in Plain Sight” will be on display at West Branch Middle School, 14409 Beloit Snodes Rd., Beloit, OH 44609 on Tuesday, January 20, 2015. Doors open for browsing at 6:00 PM with a presentation from 6:15 PM to 8:15 PM. The exhibit is open to adults only. There is no charge for admittance.

The audience is encouraged to explore and interact with items in the display which may be indicative that a teenager is involved in substance abuse, underage drinking, eating disorders, sexual activity and more. Participants will be enlightened, educated and astonished.

The Goshen Police Department will also be involved in presenting the exhibit. For further information, contact West Branch Middle School at (330)938-4300.

A special thanks to the Damascus PIE for a donation of $4700 for a transverse climbing wall. The wall will open with a Math and PE lesson on February 19, 2015. The lesson will focus on physical well being and math.

First Grade students will be climbing the walls to demonstrate what they know about the attributes of 2D shapes. PE Teacher Chris Tucker and the Damascus PIE recently installed a 4 panel Traverse Wall in the Gym. Groups of 4 students will analyze the traverse wall filled with shape magnets and determine whether to sort the shapes into two or three groups based upon the defining attributes of the shapes. Defining attributes include sides, angles, and vertices. If they use non-defining attributes, such as size or color, they will have to revise their plan and move the shapes again.

The West Branch Maintenance Department is aware of the numerous potholes located in each of our school driveways and parking lots. We have asphalt on site and will patch them as weather permits. Thank you for your patience.

West Branch will play at The Ohio State University on Friday March 20, 2015 at 3:00 PM vs Toledo Rogers in the state semi-finals. The lady Warriors took a 20 to 0 lead against Geneva and never looked back to stamp their ticket to Columbus.

PSA's created for Charities

Pictured here from left to right are the top three finalists in Mrs. Lesnett's Freshman Honors English Charity project: Allison Slutz (Street Life Ministries), Kylie Coffelt (Children's Cancer Research), and Zeina Katabi (National Eating Disorders). Students selected a charity, conducted fundraising, created a Public Service Announcement, completed an application/essay, and delivered a presentation on their charity. This year's winners were interviewed by Mr. Coffee, Miss Herman, and Mrs. Hartzell (retired teacher).

Posted On: Monday, June 1, 2015

NBC Champs

Congratulations to the Varsity Baseball team on capturing back-to-back NBC championships!

The Warrior Nation is something special! Our school is the center of the community. Our strength is that if life gives you lemons, you make lemonade! Friday night we lost lighting at a packed football game. Listen and watch the crowd on how they took a negative and joined as a community. Special Thanks to the Minerva Lions for joining us. Both communities demonstrated all that is right with education and sports. No more words are necessary! (video courtesy of Randy Weber)

Students in Mrs. Madeleine Clendenin's French classes ushered in the new year with a special French dessert "Glaette Des Rois" in celebration of l'Epophaine, a French holiday. Merci et Bonne Annee a tous!

West Branch Preschool recently received a 5-Star Rating from the State of Ohio. This rating means that West Branch Preschool engages in the highest quality education for all preschool students and families. We would not be able to achieve this honor without our students, parents and especially our amazing staff! West Branch would like to extend a special congratulations to the Preschool Staff, lead teachers, Kathie Menegay, Tricia Barkee and Katie Whaley, assistant teachers, Hannah Dunn, Jackie Mabry and Sarah Francis, as well as program coordinator, Allison Krupko and administrator, Micki Egli. What a wonderful accomplishment by all!

West Branch Local School District is currently accepting applications for substitutes in all classifications (teachers, custodians, bus drivers, secretaries, aides, and cafeteria workers).

If you wish to serve as a substitute, you will need to complete an application and provide us with a BCI and FBI background report (dated within one year). Applications can be found under the employment tab located on the left. For information please contact Mona McNeely at 330-938-9324.

The West Branch Local Schools, rated Excellent with Distinction, is going through the (OIP) Ohio Improvement Process. The process uses data to design and implement two focused priorities for our district. The district is a GREAT organization, but great organizations stay on top by always improving. The (DLT) District Leadership Team is comprised of parents, teachers, administrators, and board members. The group will serve as an advisory council to assist in making recommendations to Dr. Weingart and the School Board. The short, five minute video will give some insight into the process from some of the participants! The video was filmed and edited by Mr. Terrence Grimm from the Mahoning County Educational Service Center. The Warrior logo is the design of Mr. Steve Mountz, West Branch High School Art Instructor.

Congratulations to all of the West Branch Middle School Band students for their hard work and diligent preparation for the Ohio Music Education Association’s Solo and Ensemble Contest. The students received an amazing 17 “Superior” ratings and 7 “Excellent” ratings at the event on Saturday March 23rd at Struthers High School!

Before and after the holiday break, Damascus and Knox students collected donations of DVDs and Keurig K-Cups to benefit the families that stay at the onocology unit of Akron Children's Hospital. We are pleased to announce that the elementary schools combined donated a total of 227 DVDs and 679 K-Cups! WOW! This truly shows how caring our families and staff are in this district. Thank you for your thoughtfulness; this will surely be a gift to Akron Children's.

Any further donations throughout the year can be dropped off to Miss Crawford.

Cosmic Bowling. Bring the Community together! $7.00 for 2 hours of unlimited bowling and your shoes. $8.00 day of the event. Let's sell out the lanes. Let's knock down negativity. WE ARE WEST BRANCH! Sunday March 2, 2014 at College Lanes from 3- 5

Junior, Melinda Trimmer scored her 1,000 career point on Monday, February 3rd. To date her career totals are 1,015 points and 502 assists. Last year she was NBC League Player of the Year. In addition, earlier this season she verbally committed to Youngstown State University.

June 23, 24 & 25
Second - Eighth Graders (Fall of 2014)

Bring your grandparents and extended family to Damascus Elementary School on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. The Book Fair will be open in the library. Come and join us! Activities throughout the building!

WB Softball Camp is cancelled for tonight, February 2, 2015. SWB Fastpitch sign ups are also cancelled for this evening. Both are rescheduled for this Thursday, February 5, 2015 from 5:30-7:30 pm @ WBHS. Camp & Sign Ups will go on as scheduled for Tuesday, February 3, 2015.

Congratulations to the West Branch High School students who recently participated in the regional Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. The work of four students was submitted for judging for the show held at Youngstown State University’s Bliss Hall. Congratulations to Katie Stevens, Cheyenne DeLuna, Taylor Vence, and Eli Page for their honorable mention entries.

Special congratulations go out to Taylor and Eli who, on their other entries, received Gold Key awards. Additionally, the pieces that were recognized with gold Key awards were nominated for the American Vision Award. Of over 550 entries, only five were selected for this prestigious honor. Good luck Taylor and Eli for the judging in New York City.

Special Thanks to our parents nd Sen Joe Schiavoni for hosting a meeting on the new state assessments. Below is the powerpoint with information about the new testing and its affect on students, staff, and district.

This year at WBMS we will be offering a STEM program after school from 2:45-4:15pm every Thursday starting October 29th. We are so excited to bring the “Believe in Ohio” program to West Branch! The Believe in Ohio program is a student entrepreneurship program that focuses on developing Ohio’s next generation of STEM innovators. Students in this program will be engaging in problem solving activities and will take their idea and design to a local competition in the spring.

All are invited and welcome to join us for the upcoming Christmas Concerts where WBMS students will be performing:

December 2 - "Moods of Christmas" Dessert Show - MS Cafeteria @ 7:00 with HS "Young and Alive" and MS "Warrior Explosion" and HS Jazz Band performing. Cost of tickets is $8, including dessert, and tickets are available by calling 330-938-4442.

Middle School Power of the Pen recently competed at the district tournament held at the University of Mount Union. Seventh grade captured a first place finish, while Camille Boals placed eighth overall and Anna Fye placed fifth overall. Congratulations to both teams on all their hard work.

These grants are based on proposals of innovative use of technology in the classroom that are aligned with Ohio's Learning Standards and that will lead to increased student achievement, growth, learning and engagement.

A special thank you to the West Branch Board of Education for being committed to awarding educators money to create a more efficient learning environment and to increase student productivity.

The West Branch Middle School PIE is starting a WB Community Business Directory page on the West Branch Local Schools' webpage. This directory will be a way our community can support local businesses by having a reference place to find contact information for these businesses. Whether you have a business located in our school district, or you live in our community and own a business, we would like to help others find out about you and support you!

Congratulations to the West Branch High School visual arts students who recently participated in the regional Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. The work of thirteen students was submitted for judging for the show held at Youngstown State University’s Bliss Hall. Congratulations to Jayden Boggs, Bailey Byers, Isabella Campos, Barbara Cernakova, Willow Daley, Hunter Gillingham, Canaan McDaniel, Paige Miller, Amber Mondak, Olivia Ormiston, Bailey Snyder, Sarrah Tennfoss, and Whitney Wallace for their honorable mention entries.

A special congratulations goes out to Isabella Campos who, on her mixed media entry, received a Gold Key award. This gold key award makes her eligible for a possible national gold key.

Are you old enough to remember the movie Gremlins? The Star Gizmo had a cuddly but yet destructive manner. Today Gizmos are Virtual Math and Science manipulatives. On October 18, 2013, 14 West Branch Teachers attended a workshop on how to use these exploratory tools in their classroom. The teachers received no pay and gave up their personal time for learning. West Branch Excellence.... Pass it On! Thank you teachers. Check out gizmos under the student link! These learning modules are similiar to our new state assessments. See your teacher for an account!

How do you reach goals? What do we stand for as a a district? Monthly a leadership team made up of teachers, parents, board members and administrators meet to plan strategies to focus on always striving to improve. Our goals are listed on the left tab under OIP goals. You can also click the link below for more information.

On Sunday March 2, 2014, the community packed College Lanes in Alliance for a family day of bowling. We had 38 lane sponsors and 160 bowlers. Families celebrated West Branch! Thanks to Mrs. Jen Smith who ccordinated the prizes. Also to Carol Bradway who got the most lane sponsors. Mrs Marsha Coffee assited in advertising and decorations and Mrs. Jen. Greenisien and Mrs. Kim Lewis for welcoming everyone to the lanes.

The West Branch Hall of Fame Committee has announced the Hall of Fame Inductees for 2014. Hall of Fame Inductees include: community members Karen Elsner, former school treasurer, Sam Martig, former board of education member, and athletic stand-outs Jeff Heacock, Todd Muckleroy, Ben Swallow and Emilee Zets.

The inductees will be introduced on Friday, September 26, 2014, before the West Branch High School Home Football Game vs. Canton South. A reception to honor the Hall of Fame Inductees will be held immediately following the football game in the Meiter Athletic Building in back of the stadium. The event is open to the public at no charge. The West Branch Alumni Association will also host a tailgate barbeque outside the entrance gate to the stadium prior to the home varsity football game. The event is open to all alumni and friends and is free of charge.

On Saturday night, September 27, 2014, the West Branch Alumni Association will host a dinner at West Branch High School in honor of the Hall of Fame Inductees. Reservations for the dinner can be made by calling the superintendent’s office at 330.938.9324. Social time is at 6:30 p.m. with dinner at 7:00 p.m. The formal induction ceremony will take place in the West Branch Community Auditorium at 8:00 p.m. The induction ceremony is free and open to the public.

The West Branch Hall of Fame Award seeks to highlight significant athletic accomplishments and/or outstanding contributions to the West Branch Community. The West Branch Hall of Fame Committee and the West Branch Alumni Association are pleased to sponsor the Hall of Fame Events and invite and encourage the Community to join in the celebration.

The Damascus Community Center Park Trustees are looking for students to volunteer to help with the Light Up Damascus Breakfast at the Damascus Friends Church Canyon View Room. Volunteers are needed from 7:00am until 11:00am on Saturday, December 13th. This is a great opportunity to earn service credit towards NHS or an NHS application. Please see Mr. Fairfield to sign up.

We invite all adults ages 21 and over to an adult evening out to raise funds to defer the cost of spring field trips and to buy additional technologies for Damascus Elementary. Activities will begin promptly at 7:00 PM on Friday March 6, 2015 at the Cross Eyed Moose in Homeworth. Doors open at 6:30 PM For $15.00 a person you get a buffet of appetizers and admission. All Damascus families have been mailed home information on the event. There will be games and a Chinese auction. We have heard that many times students sell material that are described as "invaluable." This one night event has the potential to bring people together for FUN and support the needs of our kids. Information will be posted throughout the community and tickets can be attained from any PIE parent.

West Branch High School Counseling Department will be hosting two parent/student meetings on Thursday, February 12th in the auditorium.

5:30 - 7:00 p.m an informational meeting on the College Credit Plus Initiative. Representatives from YSU, KSU and Stark State College will be in attendance. This state initiative is offered to qualified students in grades 7 -12 (2015-16).

7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Mr. Keith Martig will share information about the KrizayScholarship and the FAFSA.

Interested parents and students are encouraged to attend, No reservations needed.

This year there were five West Branch High School art students entered in the regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Congratulations to Dayle Arnold for her honorable mention in mixed media with her submission “Carnaval”, to Zoie Bailey for her mixed media honorable mention titled “Golden Mistress of Death”, to Miranda Barnett for her honorable mention with her sculpture “Storm”, and to Bailey Snyder for her honorable mention on her painting “Stormy Night”.

Winning a Silver Key for her sculpture “Eyespy” was Samantha Haidet. Also, winning two silver keys, was Taylor Vence for her paintings “Wild Child” and “She’s Beauty, She’s Grace”

Taylor Vence also brought home three gold keys with her portfolio submission titled “Girls Will Be Girls”, her painting “1,2,3”, and her painting “Gracie” .

Special congratulations go out to Taylor for the additional distinction of “Gracie” being nominated for the American Vision Award which will be presented in New York City this summer. Only a few pieces out of hundreds of entries are chosen to receive this honor.

All incoming Freshmen are encouraged to attend! Students will receive their schedules, receive a building tour, get their locker information, have a practice run of the schedule including lunch, fun, prizes and so much more. Don't miss this event to help prepare you for your first day of High School.

On December 22, 2016 the West Branch Board of Education took action to revise the 2016 -- 2017 school calendar. Please be aware that two new professional development days were added for this school year. Therefore, school WILL NOT be in session on Friday, March 10th and Tuesday, April 18th, 2017. These will now be staff in-service days.

Induction Ceremony Held

Recently our National Honor Society inducted thirty-three new members. The four pillars of the NHS are: Character, Scholarship, Leadership and Service. Mrs. Tracy Wyatt is the advisor. Pictured are the new inductees.

The Rebecca Bricker Scholarship Committee and the Sebring – West Branch Area Community Foundation are pleased to announce that applications are now available for the scholarship. Mrs. Bricker was a long time kindergarten teacher with the West Branch Local School District.

The scholarship will be awarded each summer for the 15 years. This year will be the third year of the scholarship. Candidates for the scholarship must be current sophomores or juniors at the college level and must be majoring in elementary education or a related field (art, music, physical education, reading specialist, etc). The applicant must have a 2.2 college grade point average.

Two scholarships of $1,000 will be awarded with preference being given to junior students.

Application forms and a list of required documents are listed below or by emailing keithmartig@gmail.com. All application materials must be submitted to the scholarship committee by July 15, 2014.

Last year's awards were presented to Amanda Donithan and Claire Funkhouser.

Damascus Elementary is fortunate to collaborate with Akron Children’s Hospital and Kohl’s Cares Community Giving Program. We recently received a grant for a program that will offer noncompetitive activities to promote health, fitness, good eating habits, and safe and gradual weight loss. The program, intended to assist and encourage children from kindergarten through age 18, has been successful at the Akron Children’s main campus. These issues are important because the childhood obesity rate has skyrocketed nationwide. The program will be used throughout physical education classes at Damascus Elementary School. Damascus Elementary would like to “Thank” Akron Children’s Hospital and the Kohl’s Cares Program. Melody Case, Wellness Specialist at Akron Children’s Hospital of Mahoning Valley states, “We are very proud to be able to offer this program at Damascus Elementary and we thank Mr. Tucker and Mr. Bowen for allowing for this collaboration, and for all your support now, and in the future.”

State leaders in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers share one fundamental goal: building their collective capacity to dramatically increase the rates at which students graduate from high school prepared for success in college and the workplace

PARCC’s next-generation assessment system will provide students, educators, policymakers and the public with the tools needed to identify whether students — from grade 3 through high school — are on track for postsecondary success and, critically, where gaps may exist and how they can be addressed well before students enter college or the workforce.

New Student Registration will resume on Thursday, September 4, 2014. Click Here for the New Student Registration Packet. Forms must be completed before you come in to register. Please bring all of the required documents listed in the registration packet. Registration Hours are Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 2:30 pm in the Superintendent's Office. Registration Questions, please call 330-938-9324.

On Saturday March 1st our 7th and 8th grade Power of the Pen teams competed in Power of the Pen's regional tournament at Malone University. Students who rank in the top 50% of finishers at District competition are invited to participate in a Regional tournament—the second level of competition. Our regional qualifers were Kylie Dean, Paige Miller, Courtney McKenzie, Camryn Sutton, Emilee Sanor, Kirsten Plocher, Micah Burns, Valerie Mobley, and Hannah Sprague.

Our 8th grade team placed 3rd overall at the regional tournament. 7th grader, Kylie Dean, and 8th graders, Kirsten Plocher and Micah Burns, will advance to the State competition in May. Great job writers!

West Branch Middle School was afforded the opportunity to participate in the Mahoning County Soil and Water Conservation Districts Junior Envirothon on April 10, 2014 at the Mill Creek Metro Park Farm in Canfield.

Youngstown State University will offer a career workshop titled "Women In Science and Engineering" on Saturday, February 21, 2015 featuring keynote speaker Rhonda Franklin. This workshop is designed for young women and girls in grades 6 through 12. More information and registration can be found at www.ysu.edu/WIS.

Congratulations to all of the West Branch High School Band student participants for their hard work and diligent preparation for the Ohio Music Education Association’s Solo and Ensemble Contest. Our amazing students’ events received 15 “Superior” ratings and 6 “Excellent” ratings on Saturday January 31stat Harding High School!

Soloists who received the “Excellent” rating were Lindsey Fugett, Grayce McDaniel, and Brittany Ring on Flute; Sadie Fuson on Clarinet; and Joe Mitchell as a baritone vocalist.

A “Superior” rating was also awarded to the Flute Trio, the Trombone Quartet, the Flute Choir, and the Clarinet Choir. The Saxophone Quartet earned an “Excellent” rating.

The next opportunity to hear West Branch band students perform will be at the annual Winter Concert on Tuesday March 10th at 7:00 PM in the High School Auditoriom. The concert will feature performances by the high school symphonic as well as the Jazz Band. Admission is free and open to the public.

The HS Band Concert scheduled for 3/10/15 has been moved! We thank Mr. Stehura and Mr. Zamarelli for making it possible for all students and families to attend the HS Girls Game on Tuesday Night. Good Luck Lady Warriors.....Go BAND!

Mrs. Kibby and Mrs. Hannay are co-teaching a biography unit in their Language Arts' classes this month. The students are reading biographies, creating posters, and sharing information about famous people. As an extension, the students are skyping with penpals from West Boulevard Elementary School in Boardman, Ohio where Mrs. Kibby's husband teaches Kindergarten.

We are happy to announce Damascus Elementary has once again been invited to participate in Project ReDirectory. Please recycle your unwanted phonebooks in the back of the Damascus Building by April 30th. Phone books collected will reduce waist to our landfills while bringing positive recognition to our school. Students work hard all year and learn responsibility through the importance of caring for the environment. The event is sponsored by YP and the Mahoning County Green Team. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and willingness to support Damascus Elementary and our environment.

West Branch Future Teachers of America, along with Mrs. Barbara Sulka, advisor, will sponsor their annual Pre-school Community Night at the West Branch High School library on Monday, May 20th from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. Please call 330-938-4430 or 330-938-4476 for reservations and questions.

West Branch takes first step to place levy on ballot

Please contact the Superintendent's Office if you have moved and/or changed Telephone Numbers this Summer. Office Hours are Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm. Phone: 330-938-9324. Acceptable forms of Proof of Residency are: Rental/Purchase Agreement, Gas or Electric Bill. Proof of Residency is required before your Student's Bus Route can be adjusted for the 2014-15 School Year. Telephone Number changes can be called in to the Superintendent's Office during the office hours listed above.

Thank you all students, parents, and staff who donated to St. Balderick's, which funds for childhood cancer research. Damascus raised $1,311.52!!! WOW!!!!! Students were allowed to wear "wacky " clothes to school for their donation. Since we exceeded our goal, Mr. Manley will be dressing up as a leprechaun to school on Friday, March 14. We had fun here at Damascus, and even better, we helped to make a difference. Thanks again!

More money will be coming by the end of the week. We have students selling purses, hair bows, and bracelets. All are made out of duct tape and bands. The students exemplify the giving at all our buildings!

Schools CAN give information on a levy. For the average citizen the school district income tax will cost less than .90 a day. Remember that Social Security, welfare, railroad pensions and disability are exempt from the tax.

The West Branch Local Schools has FIVE snow days this year. There are NO Blizzard Bags this year. Our two hour delays DO NOT count against this total. As of 2-9-15, we have used FIVE snow days. if we go over 5, here are some options on how days may be made up!

Ohio testing continues to change as we move throughout the year. Ohio students will no longer be taking the PARCC exams. All testing will happen through AIR, the American Institute of Research. This is good news for our students as they only need to learn one testing interface to complete the assessments. Testing time has also been reduced to better meet the needs of our schools.

The Power Point information below is from the Ohio Department of Education and explains the changes with testing. Please see your building's principal if you have any questions.

For the 2015 – 2016 school year the West Branch Board of Education offered Innovative Technology Grants and awarded funds based on proposals of innovative use of technology in the classrooms. All West Branch teachers had the opportunity to submit a proposal for materials and programs. After the committee ranked the proposals, the board was able to fund six teachers.

This year’s recipients included Amber Wilson and Anne Cushman, second grade Damascus; Bridget Scofinsky, first grade Damascus; Allyson Burkey, second grade Damascus; McKenzie Wallace, High School English; and Kevin Buckley, High School Science.

Please see the attached video on how these teachers integrated the new technology and programs into their classrooms.

West Branch National Honor Society is once again sponsoring our annual Share-A-Christmas Campaign. Donated food items and money will be collected from students and staff to help provide a Christmas food basket for members of our West Branch Community. Donations will be accepted from December 3rd -December 12th.

If you are a West Branch family in need of a Christmas Food Basket, please contact WBHS @ 330.938.2183. NHS will host a basket pick-up day on December 20th from 8:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

As we prepare our search for a new superintendent the School Board would like to gather information about what our staff and community believe are important qualities for a superintendent to be successful at West Branch Local Schools.

To participate in this survey just click on the link below and answer the short survey. Information will be compiled by the County Office and should be completed by Friday, March 20, 2015.

We would like to thank our grandparents for visiting Damascus Elementary School with your grandchild. You have such a positive impact on our future! We had over 300 people visit for a scavenger hunt, bingo, pictures and Book Fair. Thank you so much. Thank you PIE for a wonderful evening.

The West Branch High School softball teams recently hosted a teacher appreciation night. Each player had the opportunity to invite an educator to honor at the game and at the reception immediately following. Congratulations to all the honored educators.

Knox Hoop Shoot Participants

Ohio is changing the way it measures and rates the performance of schools and districts. The 2012-2013 school and district report cards will grade schools and districts on a mix of new and previously used items with an A-F letter-grade system.

West Branch Local Schools will follow an adjusted schedule for three days in the month of May. I wanted to get this out to all parents as soon as possible to assist you in your planning.

FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013: Students will not be in session on this day. The West Branch Staff will be engaged in School Safety Training that day. This is the ALICE SAFETY TRAINING that many of our neighboring school districts are using with their staffs.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2013 AND TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013: West Branch Local Schools will follow a Two-Hour Delay Schedule these days. The State of Ohio has mandated a number of educational initiatives and the West Branch Staff will be working on those initiatives during these two days.

We appreciate the support and understanding of our parents as we engage in these important in-services for our staff.

Every year, Mrs. Lesnett's Freshman Honors English classes participate in the Voice of Democracy contest. This year, freshman Emma Griffith captured Third Place in the V.F.W. District 8 Voice of Democracy speech contest and First Place for Sebring Post 6730. The theme for the contest was "Why I'm Optimistic about our Nation's Future". Also, freshman Mariah Saulsberry took Third Place for the Sebring Post 6730. The girls received $100 and $25 for their respective places.

We are pleased to announce the staff continues to seek opportunities to integrate 21st Century Skills in the classroom. Students create, collaborate, research and explore in all grades and in varying contents. Teachers use assessments to guide their future lessons based on students’ needs. We maintain high expectations for all stakeholders and continue to grow as a staff. We are fortunate to have a professional staff willing to embrace the ever changing mandates in public education. Please take time to review the building report cards.Please take time to review the article on what responsibilities have been added to teachers since 1900.Click LEARN MORE BELOW to view building report cards and an educational article. Go Warriors!

The Kindergarten Pow Wow provides parents and children a chance to see what Kindergarten is all about! Attending this event will be beneficial for both parents and children as information will be provided about the upcoming school year. Parents and children will have an opportunity to become familiar with the school building and staff, as well as learn about community programs. We strongly encourage all 2013 upcoming Kindergarten students to attend.

The K-8 Complex will host a stay after tonight! Pick-up is at 5:45 in the Beloit Gym for elementary children. MS Pick-up for students NOT ATTENDING the HS game is 6:15 in the rear of the building. Students attending the game will be picked up at the HS after the game. (usually between 8:30 - 9:00 P.M.)

The Grades 6 - 8 Show Choir performed for the k-8 complex to close out their busy holiday season. The Choir is directed by Mrs. Krista Clay. Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus! Drag the Slider to 1:45 seconds to hear the beautiful sounds of the season!

Informational meetings about the upcoming school levy will be held in all 4 buildings. We look forward to sharing information as to the need, terms, and future of the West Branch Local Schools. All levy meetings will offer games and activities in the gym for children, so that parents can attend. There will be prize giveaways at all meetings. Everyone will receive a FREE raffle ticket for attending. A drawing will occur at the end of every meeting. In addition, if you would like to hold a club or neighborhood meeting, we will come to you! Please call Mona in the Superintendent's Office (330-938- 9324) for scheduling

West Branch Graduate Evan Campbell will be playing in the College World Series for Kent State University. Kent State is one of only eight teams left in the nation. Evan had two big catches and a HR to assist the Golden Flashes in advancing. His sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the 9th against Oregon, moved the winning run into scoring position. Evan had a great year on the field and with his studies! Evan played at West Branch for coaching legend Lynn Grove!

Catch some wonderful Girls Basketball Action with many areas teams on Monday and Thursday Nights. Admission is FREE! There are over 16 teams competing here at the BRANCH. Click the link below for full scheduling details!

The West Branch Middle School Drama Department will be presenting the play “American Idol: Murdering the Music.” This play is a parody of the hit television show “American Idol,” with the added twist of a murder mystery subplot. Students in grades 6-8 are participating in the performance as judges, singers, stage crew, and much more! Performances will be Friday, March 2nd at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 3rd at 5:00 p.m. in the Middle School cafeteria. Ticket costs will be $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for students, and there will be no cost for children under 5 years of age. Refreshments, such as water, chips and candy bars, will also be sold at the beginning of the performances. Proceeds will benefit the West Branch Middle School Drama Club. We hope to see you at show time!

The West Branch High School Young and Alive show choir performed their 2011 Christmas Show for the students and staff of West Branch Middle School during an afternoon assembly on Wednesday. Students especially enjoyed the musical number "Santa Baby" in which the "Winter Wonderettes" invited Principal Matt Manley on stage to act as 'Santa' (and embarrass him as much as possible!).

West Branch Science teachers attended a lecture by Science Guru, Bill Nye on 3/6/12 at Kent State Stark at 7:30 P.M. The teachers are always looking for positive ways to enhance the learning of our students. Mr. Nye invited them to a reception after the event. The teachers discussed hands-on Science and got autographs from their idol!

Student Council Advisor Amy Criss planned a wonderful day for students with a high grade point average and no demerits. Students were treated to lunch and a program at the University of Mount Union. Former Warrior Carson Weingart was the featured speaker. Current Band Director, Mr. Stehura gave students a campus tour. You can view pictures of the event at the MS page under photo galleries. Great Job Students for your commitment to excellence!

The Grade 6 Students visited the Carnegie Science Center, Sportsworks, ImaxTheater, and Heinz Field on June 4, 2012. Over 96% of the students qualified for the trip because of their excellent citizenship. Pictures can be found at the MS page. Go to the left tab on the page called photo galleries and open the folder. There are over 100 pictures for FREE!

Kindergarten classes will be split the first two days of school. The Green Tribe only will report on Wednesday Septmeber 5, 2012. TheWhite Tribe will report on on Thursday September 6, 2012. Both Tribes will come together for the first time on Friday September 7, 2012.

The Tribes will be identified after the final kindergarten screening is completed. Kindergarten parents will then receive a letter for information about their child's start days. These letters should arrive by August 31, 2012.

West Branch Students attend private showing of The Hunger GamesOn Saturday March 24, 2012 over 100 Grade 6 students attended a private showing of The Hunger Games at the Carnation Mall Cinema. The series of books is the most read novel in the middle school. The project was organized by Language Arts teachers Mrs. Amy Criss,Mrs. Rachelle Ring, and Mrs. Lori Pasch. We had many staff members that attended and chaperoned this event. The students demonstrated outstanding citizenship!

The WBMS MS Drama production recently performed a production based on the popular TV series American Idol. The cast entertained the student body and the community. The play was directed by Miss Susan Moss and Mrs. Ashley Vogel.

The Grade 8 MS Students attended the Weather Education Day before the Indians vs. Kansas City Royals on 5/29/12. The Warriors were part of 5000 students in attendance from various schools in Ohio. The Grade 8 Warriors were honored for their excellent citizenship during the year. The Indians picked Logan Miller to represent their excellence. Logan threw out the first pitch! Check out the video of the-game ceremony! Check out pictures from the game at the Middle School Page under Photo Galleries (Left Tab)!

The MS Power of the Pen team had three students compete in the State Power of the Pen Tournament on Friday May 25, 2012 at Wooster College. Elsa Buehler, Victoria Stratton, and Megan Winters competed on the state level. The team is coached by Mrs. Libbie Romigh. Megan Winters finished 6th in the state. The team again proved that the pen is mightier than the sword!GO GREEN!

The West Branch Grade 7 staff planned a wonderful Career Day on Thursday May 24, 2012. Many successful Alumni returned to the land of the Warriors to share true life experiences. Please refer to the link below to an article written by Kevin Howell from the Salem News for a re-cap of events.